Carpet-stretcher.



v PATENTED APR; 14, 1908, R. J. TANNER.

CARPET STRBTGHER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

No. 884,776. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908. R. J. TANNER.

OARPBT STRETOHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20.1907

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HI I I ca 61 SW 4 *7 UNITED STATES FATENT @FFTCE.

RICHARD J. TANNER, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

CARPET-STBETCHER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J. TANNER, a citizen 'of the United States, and a resident of the city of Lincoln, county of Lancaster, and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet- Stretchers and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in carpet stretchers.

Carpet stretchers as heretofore constructed necessitate the operator standing or kneeling upon the strip or piece of carpet that is being stretched which is objectionable inasmuch as it is necessary for the operator to move his oWn weight in tightening the carpet, thus not only adding greatly to the labor in opera ting the device, but also injuring the carpet.

Furthermore such devices heretofore have not been adapted to firmly secure the carpet in stretched position but require some one to hold the stretcher until the carpet or a part thereof has been tacked in place or necessitates the operator adjusting a manual locking arrangement.

Also carpet stretchers as heretofore constructed usually have been adapted to stretch only a short distance of the strip at a time. This necessitates setting the same many times in stretching an ordinary strip of carpet, matting, etc., and also necessitates tacking or fastening the part stretched after each operation to prevent contraction thereof while shifting the stretcher.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of the class specified which is adapted to be operated in standing posture and in which the operator is not required to stand on the part that is being stretched, thus eliminating a great portion of the labor heretofore involved in the use of these devices and obviating the injurious effect caused to the carpets by the weight of the operator.

It is also a very important object of this invention to provide a device capable of stretching an entire strip or piece of carpet, etc. at one setting of the stretcher-and to so construct the same that the carpet is securely held in tightened position and without first requiring manual locking of any part of the device.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 20, 1907.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 374,685.

It is further an object of this invention to eliminate the use of a multiplicity of parts and to provide a positively acting device, simple in construction and in operation and cheap to manufacture.

The invention relates to the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention illustrating the same set and one half of the strip stretched. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the entire strip stretched. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central longitudinal section taken between the stretcher bars. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device with parts brokenaway. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 illustrates a modified form of the actuating means.

In the drawings; A indicates a housing which may be made of cast metal, wood or any other preferred material and which comprises a bottom plate a, of suitable length and width and side plates a which are connected at each end by top plates (L -(L as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Lugs (t*a integral with the side plates eX- tend upwardly therefrom between which is pivoted a lever B, by means of the pivot bolt I). Said lever is-reduced in thickness at its lower end and pivoted. thereto by means of the pintle l) is a pawl b capable of acting in either direction longitudinally.

Slidably engaged in said housing A are ratchet bars CC which may be of any preferred length and the upwardly directed ratchet teeth of which are directed oppo sitely and adapted to be engaged by the pawl b on the end of the lever B. A pin 0 is rigidly secured in each bar between the teeth most remote from the inner end to limit the inward movement of the bars and gravity acting p awls cc are pivoted to each of the top plates on opposite sides of the housing to engage the teeth on the respective ratchet bars to prevent inward movement thereof but which allow free movement of said bars outwardly. Said housing as shown in Fig. 5, and in dotted lines in Fig. 4 is provided with oppositely disposed grooves in the side plates at one end thereof into which is slidably secured the rear stretcher jaw D which is provided with forwardly and downwardly directed gripping teeth d.

, gaged in the carpet.

tacked or otherwise secured at one end. The

end of the bar C is placed against the base board X with the stretcher jaw D and housing A adjusted on the bar C to near the outer end thereof or the middle of the strip with the teeth (1 gripping the carpet and the bar C with the jaw thereon is adjusted to near the opposite edge of the carpet and the teeth en- Half of the stri or piece is stretched at a time and in stretc ing the half X the operator stands on the half X". The pawl 12 on the lever B is then turned to engage the teeth on the bar C so that actuation of the lever forces the housing and stretcher jaw toward the opposite side of the room or the operator and inasmuch as movement of the bar C is prevented the carpet between the housing and base board X may be tightened the desired amount as shown in Fig. 1. After tightening this half of the carpet the desired amount, the operator steps to the stretched half of the strip X.

The lever B is now slid on the bolt 6 to the opposite side thereof and the pawl b is reversed to engage the ratchet teeth on said bar C. Actuation of, said lever B now forces the head E outwardly toward the base board X tightening the carpet between the same and head D as shown in Fig. 2. It is evident by this construction that the entire strip may be stretched without kneeling and that at no time in stretching is the weight of the operator upon the part or half of the strip that is being stretched.

It is also seen that the gravity acting I awls cc revent the bars from movin 6 inwardly when tightening the carpet and that the device firmly secures the carpet in stretched position until the same is tacked, then by simply lifting the same by means of the thumb leverc the bars and jaws may be released and the bars telescoped through the casing or housing to afford compactness.

W'hen stretching extra long strips as for instance hall carpets, a stretcher jaw with gripping teeth may be secured on the outer end of the bar C which takes the place of the base board X and the operation is as before described.

If preferred the actuating lever F shown in Fi 7 may be employed in which the pawl b is omitted and a slot f is provided in said lever to permit the required movement thereof. This insures quick operation and avoids the necessity of reversing the pawl for each bar.

Pins may if desired be secured to the inner end of each bar to limit the outward movement and many other changes may be made and I therefore do not purpose to limit this application otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stretcher of the class described embracing oppositely disposed ratchet bars, gripping jaws equal in number to the bars and a single lever for engaging either bar to independently actuate the jaws to independently stretch different lengths of a strip.

2. A stretcher of the class described comprising bars, gripping jaws equal in number to the number of bars, and means for forcing said jaws independently of each other in the same direction in stretching.

3. A stretcher embracing a housing, bars slidable therein each having teeth and means adapted to engage sai'd teeth for forcing one of the bars and the housing in the same direction in stretching.

4. In a stretcher of the class described the combination with bars having oppositely directed teeth thereon, a casing securing said bars in operative relation, actuating means pivoted to the casing adapted to engage the teeth of one bar to adjust the casing longitudinally of said bar, in stretching and to engage the teeth of the other bar to adjust the same in stretching, a jaw removably secured to the housing, a jaw secured to one of the bars and means automatically locking the jaws in any adjustment.

5. A- stretcher embracing a housing, bars having oppositely directed teeth slidable therein, a lever, a reversible pawl on the end thereof for actuating-either bar in stretching and gravity acting pawls, one for each bar adapted to prevent movement in one direction thereof.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a casing or housing of oppositely directed toothed bars adjustable therein, stretcher jaws, one secured to the housing and one to one of the bars and means for engaging either bar for singly adjusting the bars in stretching.

7. In a device'of the class described the combination with a casing or housing of toothed bars slidable therethrough, a pawl secured at each end of the housing to engage the teeth on the respective bar to prevent movement thereof in one direction, means adapted to engage said bars for forcing one of the same and the housing in the same direction, stretching jaws secured to the hous-' ing and one of the bars and forward downwardly directed gripping teeth on each jaw.

8. In a device of the class described the combination with a housing of bars therein, each having teeth, pawls, one for each bar adapted to engage the teeth to prevent movement of the respective bar in one direction, a lever for actuating both bars, a gripping jaw secured to the housing adapted for stretching part of a strip, a gripping jaw secured on one of said bars for stretching the remainder of the strip and gripping teeth on each jaw.

9. A carpet stretcher comprising a casing of ratchet bars movable therein having oppositely directed teeth, gripping jaws one adapted to be secured approximately centrally of the strip and the other adjacent one end thereof, a lever for actuating each jaw in stretching the carpet and a reversible pawl on said lever adapted to engage both'bars.

10. A device of the class described embracing a casing of toothed bars movable therein having oppositely directed teeth, gripping jaws connected to the casing and to one of the bars and adapted to be secured approximately centrally and at one end respectively of the strip to be stretched, a lever, and a reversible pawl pivoted thereto for engaging said toothed bars singly adapted to stretch half of a strip at a time, thus avoiding the necessity for the operator standing on the part of the strip being stretched.

11. A stretcher embracing a plurality of bars having teeth, means securing the bars in operative relation, stretcher jaws one actuated by movement of each bar and each adapted to independently stretch part of the strip and means for operating said bars to actuate all of the aws for one setting of the stretcher.

12. A stretcher embracing a plurality of bars having teeth, means securing the bars in operative relation, stretcher jaws one ac tuated by movement of each bar and each adapted to independently stretch part of the strip, means for operating said bars to actuate all of the jaws for one setting of the stretcher, and means automatically locking the bars and jaws in stretched position.

13. In a device of the class described the combination with a casing of bars therein, means adapted to independently operate each bar, stretcher jaws actuated by operation of the respective bar each adapted to stretch part of a strip thus ermitting the operator standing on a part oi the strip that is not being stretched and means adapted to lock the jaws when the carpet is in stretched position.

14. In a carpet stretcher independently actuated mechanisms for stretching different parts of the strip or piece and adapted to stretch the entire strip at one setting of the device, means'operatable in standing pos ture adapted to singly adjust the stretching mechanisms and means for automatically locking the stretching mechanisms in any adjustment.

15. In a device of the class describedv the combination with an adjustable casing of ratchet bars therein, pawls pivoted to lock said casing and one of the bars in any adjustment, a reversible lever, a reversible pawl secured thereto adapted to independently engage each bar in eli'ecting the adjustment of the casing and bar and means secured to the casing and one of the bars for gripping the strip.

16. A carpet stretcher embracing a housing, a jaw secured thereto, stretcher bars movable through the housing, a jaw on one of said bars, a lever and reversible means secured to the lever for forcing the jaws in the same direction and independently of each other.

17. A carpet stretcher embracing toothed bars, a housing securing the bars in operative relation, jaws, one secured to the housing and one to one of the bars and means adjusting the housing and one of the bars in stretching.

18. A carpet stretcher embracing gripping jaws and means for adjusting one jaw at a time and all in the same direction to independently stretch different parts of a strip at one setting of the stretcher.

19. A carpet stretcher embracing jaws, gripping teeth on each jaw and mechanism adapted to independently force each aw in the same direction to independently stretch different portions of the strip.

20. A carpet stretcher embracing toothed bars, means securing the bars in operative relation, jaws, one removably secured thereto and one secured to one of the bars, a lever, a reversible pawl pivoted thereto adapted .to engage both bars for adjusting the aws and means locking each jaw in any adjustment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD J. TANNER.

Witnesses:

ED A. CHURCH, E. P. ROBERTS. 

